S E C T I O N

4 Topic Sentences

I n the last section, you learned what a main idea is. Often, writers express their main idea in a clearly
defined sentence known as a topic sentence. Topic sentences are usually found at the beginning of a para-
graph in order to immediately establish the main idea. But this is not always the case—topic sentences can
be found anywhere in a paragraph, and sometimes, the author chooses not to use one at all. Still, looking for the
topic sentence is a good skill to have when ferreting out the meaning of a reading passage.

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 TOPI C SENTEN CES

112. It weighs less than three pounds and is hardly

more interesting to look at than an overly ripe
For the following three questions, choose the topic
cauliflower. .
sentence that best fits the paragraph.
It has created poetry and music, planned and
executed horrific wars, and devised intricate
111. The term spices is a pleasant one, whether it
scientific theories. It thinks and dreams, plots
connotes fine French cuisine or a down-home,
and schemes, and easily holds more informa-
cinnamon-flavored apple pie. .
tion than all the libraries on Earth.
In the past, individuals traveled the world seek-
a. The human brain is made of gelatinous
ing exotic spices for profit and, in searching,
matter and contains no nerve endings.
have changed the course of history. Indeed, to
b. The science of neurology has found a way
gain control of lands harboring new spices,
to map the most important areas of the
nations have actually gone to war.
human brain.
a. The taste and aroma of spices are the main
c. Nevertheless, the human brain is the most
elements that make food such a source of
mysterious and complex object on Earth.
fascination and pleasure.
d. However, scientists say that each person
b. The term might equally bring to mind
uses only 10% of his or her brain over the
Indian curry made thousands of miles away
course of a lifetime!
and those delicious barbecued ribs sold on
the corner.
c. It is exciting to find a good cookbook
and experiment with spices from other
lands—indeed, it is one way to travel
around the globe!
d. The history of spices, however, is another
matter altogether, and at times, it can be
filled with danger and intrigue.

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 – TOPIC SENTENCES –
113. Gary is a distinguished looking man with a
touch of gray at the temples. Even in his early
50s, he still turns heads. He enjoys spending
most of his time admiring his profile in the
mirror. In fact, he considers his good looks to
be his second-most important asset. The first,
however, is money. He is lucky in this area,
too, having been born into a wealthy family.
__________. He loves the power his wealth
has given him. He could buy whatever he
desires, whether that be people, places, or
things. Gary checks that mirror often and feels
great delight with what he sees.
a. Gary’s gray hair is his worst characteristic.
b. Conceit is the beginning and the end
of Gary’s character; conceit of person
and situation.
c. Gary feels blessed to be wealthy and the joy
consumes his every thought.
d. The only objects of Gary’s respect are
others who hold positions in society
above him.
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For the following questions, a topic sentence is given. Try
choosing the sentence that best develops or supports it.
114. Life on Earth is ancient and, even at its first
appearance, unimaginably complex.
a. Scientists place its beginnings at some
three billion years ago, when they hypothe-
size that the first molecule floated up out
of the ooze with the unique ability to
replicate itself.
b. The most complex life form is, of course,
the mammal—and the most complex
mammal is humankind.
c. It is unknown exactly where life started,
where the first molecule was “born” that
had the ability to replicate itself.
d. Darwin’s theory of evolution was one
attempt to explain what essentially remains
a great mystery.
115. Cosmetic plastic surgery is one of the fastest-
growing segments of U.S. medicine.
a. Cosmetic plastic surgery can have danger-
ous side effects, some of which can be fatal.
b. Americans are eager to make their bodies as
perfect as possible and to minimize the visi-
ble signs of aging.
c. The price of cosmetic plastic surgery is also
on the rise.
d. This increase in cosmetic plastic surgery
says something quite disturbing about
our culture.
 – TOPIC SENTENCES –
116. One scientific theory of the origin of the
universe is the much misunderstood
big bang theory.
a. Physicists now believe they can construct
what happened in the universe during the
first three minutes of its beginning.
b. Many scientists believe that, during
microwave experiments, we can actually
“hear” echoes of the big bang.
c. The popular notion is that the big bang was
a huge explosion in space, but this is far too
simple a description.
d. The big bang theory, if accepted, convinces
us that the universe was not always as it
is now.
117. Before we learn how to truly love someone
else, we must learn how to love the face in the
mirror.
a. Don’t be shy about meeting members of the
opposite sex.
b. No one can really love you the way you can
love yourself.
c. Love is not something that lasts unless one
is very lucky.
d. Learning to accept ourselves for who we are
will teach us how to accept another person.
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118. The Greek ideal of the hero most closely
resembles today’s free-agent superstar.
a. A superstar is an athlete who commands a
great salary based on his individual skills.
b. The Greek warrior’s focus was on grasping
at immortality, and he did this by ensuring
that his name would live on, long after
he died.
c. The Greek hero valued self-interest above
loyalty to a cause, his king, or to his army,
just as the free-agent superstar values his
contract salary above any special team,
coach, or the game.
d. The Greek hero was impressive in his per-
formance on the battlefield as well as in the
sports arena.
119. There is no instruction by the old bird in the
movements of flight; no conscious imitation
by the young.
a. The most obvious way in which birds differ
from humans in behavior is that they can
do all that they have to do, without ever
being taught.
b. More extraordinary than the fact that a bird
is able to fly untaught, is that it is able to
build a nest untaught.
c. Young birds frequently make their first
flights with their parents out of sight.
d. Young birds brought up in artificial envi-
ronments will build the proper kind of nest
for their species when the time comes.
 – TOPIC SENTENCES –
120. Parents play an important role in their chil-
dren’s academic success.
a. Video games have a negative impact on
children’s academic success.
b. Studies show that children of parents who
regularly assist with homework and show
an active interest in their child’s studies
bring home better grades.
c. Studies show that watching less television
and spending less time playing video games
help children get better grades.
d. Children who are avid readers get much
better grades than their peers.
121. In special cases, needy people who have
nowhere else to go are permitted to enter the
United States as refugees.
a. Other people, however, enter the United
States illegally.
b. The total number of newcomers was over
one million.
c. United States immigration laws put limits
on the number of people permitted to enter
the United States.
d. As many as 12 million people may be living
in the United States illegally.
122. The Puritans established a wide variety of
punishments to enforce their strict laws.
a. The Puritans believed that some lawbreak-
ers should be shamed in public by the use
of stocks and the pillory.
b. Disobedient children would feel the sting of
the whip.
c. The Eighth Amendment of the Bill of Rights
prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
d. Today, many of the punishments used by
the Puritans seem cruel and excessive.
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123. More and more people are eating organically
grown fruits and vegetables.
a. Organic food is usually more expensive
than non-organic food.
b. A wide variety of organic chocolate prod-
ucts are now available in stores.
c. Raw foods are enjoying increasing popular-
ity, now that people are discovering how a
raw-foods diet leaves you feeling and
looking great.
d. Fresh organic produce contains more vita-
mins, minerals, and enzymes than non-
organic produce.
124. In Oklahoma, a girl is forbidden to take a bite
from her date’s hamburger.
a. It’s illegal for teenagers to take a bath dur-
ing the winter in Clinton, Indiana.
b. Youngsters may not spin Yo-Yos on Sunday
in Memphis, Tennessee.
c. It may be hard to believe, but these types of
strange laws are still on the books!
d. It is illegal to parade an elephant down
Main Street in Austin, Texas.
125. The hairs themselves are very sensitive.
a. A cat’s whiskers are among the most perfect
organs of touch.
b. The roots contain highly sensitive nerve
endings.
c. Serving as feelers, they aid the cat’s ability
to move in the dark.
d. This is most important for a cat that does
its prowling at night.
 – TOPIC SENTENCES –
126. French explorers probably taught the Inuit
Eskimos how to play dominoes.
a. It was known in 181 A.D. in China.
b. Also, it was played during the 1700s in Italy.
c. The game of dominoes has been popular
for centuries.
d. From Italy, it was then introduced to the
rest of the world.
127. People are now living longer than ever before
for many different reasons.
a. Some people in the Soviet Union’s Caucasus
Mountains live to be over 100 years of age.
b. No one seems to understand this
phenomenon.
c. Advances in medical science have done
wonders for longevity.
d. The people in this region do not seem to
gain anything from medical science.
128. For 16 years, he spread violence and death
throughout the west.
a. Jesse was gunned down on April 3, 1882.
b. He left a trail of train and bank robberies.
c. His crimes were committed during the
late 1860s.
d. Jesse Woodson James was the most leg-
endary of all American outlaws.
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For the final two questions, choose the sentence that
does NOT support the given topic sentence.
129. In ancient Greece, honor was not just the
domain of the warrior.
a. A great orator [speaker], who could sway
the public with his logic and wit, was
greatly respected.
b. A revered poet’s name lived on long after
he died.
c. Great wealth was characteristic of the truly
great kings.
d. A warrior’s quest for the esteem of his peers
would bring him great prizes, which would
secure a long-lasting reputation.
130. In Moby Dick, Herman Melville wrote that the
whale men were “enveloped in whale lines,”
that each man relied on the others during
moments of danger.
a. The small boats that pursued the whales
left the whaling ship far behind; each man
in a boat had to depend on the others to
stay alive.
b. Once the whale was harpooned, the whale
line unraveled so fast that water had to be
poured on it to keep it from smoking.
c. The whale line was the rope, dozens of
yards long, that attached to the harpoon;
it was raveled under the seats of all the
men metaphorically connecting each man
to the next.
d. One wrong move and the line would snap a
man right out of the boat; thus, his life
depended on whether the crew would cut
the whale loose to save him, or leave him in
the ocean during the heat of the hunt.